Covington: Crapping On Brazil Saved My UFC Career

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“Brazil, you’re a dump! All you filthy animals suck! I’ve just got one thing to say: Tyron Woodley, I’m coming for my championship belt!” —Colby Covington

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight No. 1 contender, Colby Covington, is telling the combat sports media that his rise to power began with his UFC Fight Night 119 post-fight interview, when he trashed the country of Brazil and the “filthy animals” who live there.

Poppycock.

Then he channeled basically every promo Chael Sonnen ever cut on Brazil, which got so bad at one point “The American Gangster’s” mom had to beg the Brazilian UFC fans to not kill her son when he returned to coach The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) opposite Wanderlei Silva.

“So I go and shoot this promo, and I wasn’t supposed to have my job, but that promo goes so viral on the internet, the UFC’s like, ‘We have to keep him,’” Covington said. “‘We have to re-sign him because that promo was so big,’ so that’s what saved my career, and that was the turning point of my career and the rest has been history.”

Whether you like his shtick or not, there is no denying that Covington (15-1) has earned his shot against welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, in this weekend’s UFC 245 main event. After disposing of Maia in Sao Paulo, “Chaos” captured back-to-back wins over former champions Rafael dos Anjos and Robbie Lawler.

Along with TyQuil Woodley for those of you keeping score at home.